Skype and Microsoft

I am so peed off I can't tell you.

This windows computer that I am now using decided to do an update.  After the update I found that Skype was incompatable with it.

So I uninstalled and reinstalled Skype.  Still it's incompatable.  So while I sort it I thought I would log into Skype on line so that I could at least use it while I sort things.

However, it forced me to log in with my microsoft account which I had to have in order to use this comp.

Once in Skype I now have no contacts and no way to log in with my usual Skype username and password.

So I went to my ipad to see what happens with Skype on that.  I found I was already logged in there with my real Skype name and password so all my contacts were still there.

I then notice that I have lost weeks of conversation with you Martha, along with ChrisW having a big fat "BLocked" symbol across her face.  What the heck is going on?

I tried to figure out how to unblock Chris but can't for the life of me find how to do that.  So I had to pm Chris to tell she was blocked on my Skype but I am trying to sort it.

I tell you, using this bloody windows instead of my macbook is no sodding joke.

I am so hoping that I can re-programme my macbook and go back to that.

Can anyone advise me about logging into skype not using a microsoft account.

Ohhh dear Sandy!!! I had a similar thing happening when I first got win10 installed.

Luckily for me Jeremy sorted it out by re-installing it and it's during the install that at some point you are asked for your microsoft details; or as was the case with me ... I was asked to confirm my microsoft details ...or ... log in with a username.

I choose username and that fixed the whole damn problem would you believe.

Now if you have your microsoft details as primary user, then every time windows updates it also updates that!

If you already got it sorted in the mean time .... go into your win update settings and stop or pause the updates so that you buy yourself some time to get it sorted out.

What I most objected to was that Microsoft forces you to do 2 things with Skype.  1) You have to use your real name as a username, 2) you have to log in with the full email address and not with the username.

It was so ridiculous.  I was going around in circles with the instructions on how to fix it.  I must have uninstalled and reinstalled Skype over half a dozen times on the Windows comp trying to get a version that doesn't require a microsoft account.  Each time my computer telling me that each version wouldn't work on my system.

In the meantime I am trying to put my mac back to factory settings in the hopes that it hasn't completely died but still has some life in it once it's all cleaned out.  Thank goodness it did.  So once that was up and working, I downloaded skype and bugger me that now also forced me to have the new updated skype that needed a microsoft log in.

Now I went from Skype help to Microsoft help to Apple help, and to general public message board help, and everyone said you can't change this.

Then I tried to follow the instructions to unlink my Skype account from my microsoft account.  Couldn't be done as in my settings they weren't both there, it simply gave my microsoft name and said "linked".

So someone said, go and physically link the 2, then you can unlink them.   I followed the instructions for that but none of the links were there that they told me to click to even link them properly, let alone unlink the bloody things.

Now I think that the problem had started because I knew none of this bloody nonsense with Skype + Microsoft when I set up that windows computer.

Setting that up it asked for my email address for a username.  I had no idea I was creating a new microsoft account.  So naturally I gave that.  But of course it was the same email address I always use.  So when it came to downloading skype and signing in, it wouldn't accept my skype username and password, but instead asked for my email  I thought nothing of it, so put my email in, skype password and then found it wouldn't even let me in on that.

Then I realised it wanted my microsoft details instead.  So I signed in with that, and found that I had a completely blank contact list with no history.

It was at that point that hours of searching began to fix it.

I finally fixed it by accidentally coming across how to change my public show name on skype while signing into microsoft.  Baring in mind that both Skype and Microsoft help had both told me this couldn't be done.

Not realising this would fix the problem, I changed my public show name on microsoft/skype to my Zandranna, which it what my username is on skype/skype.

I then gave it one more try to log out of microsoft/skpye and log into skype/skype with username and password.  And it only bloody worked.

Now the two accounts are linked properly on skype which means I have my contacts and history back.

I then went to seek out information on how to set up a windows computer without using a microsoft account name.  Seemingly there is no way to 100% cut the cord from a microsoft account on a windows computer once one has set that up.

I thought, is there fuck.  THere is no way someone is going to force me to use a bloody account I don't want.

So I put the windows computer back to factory settings, and followed instructions I found from someone on the web on how to set it up without the microsoft account.

Now I just have to go into account settings of skype and totally unlink the microsoft account with the skype account which I haven't done yet until I have tested logging out of skype and logging back in with my Skype account.   Once I know that works 100% then I can go in and totally delete my whole microsoft account.

Microsoft are bloody crafty.  They do all this because they are trying to be far too much like Apple and get all your applications and details all linked.  Whereas Apple make it easy to have that as a choice, microsoft don't.  The way they set up their pages when one is trying to create accounts for various things always point you in the direction of setting them up with a microsoft account.  Giving the impression you have to do this.  But you don't.

Yep I totally follow you on this hair raising stupidity that is Microsoft and them trying to force people.
The moment they try and force things is the moment I want out lol.

I was lucky in that I had Jeremy sorting it out for me but oh boy I spend days searching for any answers and like you could not get any help from anywhere!

So glad to read you got it sorted finally and can you imagine anyone else who is not as familiar with a computer and/or terminology and how they would fare?

You wouldn't believe the amount of poor buggers out there trying to fix the same issues and no one has the anwers.

I only found out how to change my show username on Skype when logged in with microsoft because I was throwing a paddy and click, click click all over the bloody page in temper. I finally clicked accidentally on my name that was on one of the pages. I swear there was no way to tell that clicking on that would cause a box to open to delete that name and put a new one in.

You see, doing that made both my username and email the same on both skype and microsoft. So when I tried logging in again with my Skype password it let me do it.

The only difference between the two accounts was the password you see.

Doing that then totally linked the two accounts together properly and to unlink them seems to be simple. I will do that later.

And all this in the name of trying to hold the monopoly over certain things on the web hu!

Yep. They push so hard though that it stops us using them.

Whew glad you got it straightened out.
I don't Skype yet maybe one day.

Thanks Sally. Actually I don't know what I would do without Skype.

Same here Sandy I use Skype almost daily and would be lost without it.

I uninstalled Skype years ago. It was taking over my computer, using up resources even when I wasn't using it. I just got tired of dealing with it.

Oh wow I have never had that problem Elaine! I do always close the app though when I'm done so maybe that is the difference.